Heathwood on TV as Champions of the Environment

Heathwood Hall recently won a $2000 grant from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for its participation in their annual Champions of the Environment campaign. With this grant, Heathwood will be able to fund three great new projects on our campus in addition to being featured in our own TV commercial which celebrates the achievement.

Each year, DHEC selects up to 8 Champions of the Environment based upon the quality of their environmental projects. Those projects must address one or more of the following: prevention or reduction of pollution in the air, water or land; waste reduction; restoration, preservation or enhancement of natural areas; water or energy efficiency. Projects must also educate the community and make a lasting difference to the environment.

In addition to winning the $2000 grant, Champions are also awarded a 30-second TV commercial to be shot on their campus and aired on local television, highlighting their achievements. The project, grant, and awards are also to be featured on the DHEC Champions' Web site.

With this grant, Heathwood will fund three new initiatives:

o Student Council’s Collection and Repurposing of Concession Stand Cups at athletic events.

A portion of the grant’s funds will be used to purchase collection containers and signage to help improve the awareness and use of our recycling measures. This will allow Heathwood to effectively collect used cups, clean and repurpose them as small plastic pots to be used in the Greenhouse. Thomas Davant, Akida Lebby & Connor Hoffman are leading this effort.

o Creating a Green Roof Demonstration Table

Both AP and regular Environmental Science classes will create a Green Roof demonstration table to help educate and illustrate the energy savings that can be realized when using plants as a roofing material instead of conventional roofing. Green Roof Outfitters, LLC of Charleston, SC will be our partners in this project. Heathwood is also preparing a grant proposal to obtain funding for a small (2000 sq. ft.) Green Roof Pilot Project on the roof of the Robinson Center.

o Creating 600-Gallon Rain Barrel/Rain Water Collection System

The Biology I and Biology II classes will create a 600-gallon rain barrel/rain water collection system to collect water from the roof of the Robinson Center and deliver it to a new drip irrigation system in our Certified SC Grown Vegetable Garden.

Heathwood Hall's Champions of the Environment commercial, staring the Seniors in our AP Environment Science and Biology II classes will air in Columbia on WIS-TV from 11/14/11 until 11/27/11, and in Charleston on WCSC-TV the week of 11/15/11 to 11/22/11: